→ Whether you’re cannabis curious or a long-time cannabis user, with an onslaught of new cannabis products on the market you may be wondering: What is the difference between a pod and a cartridge? Are pods better than vape pens? And, what is the right cannabis consumption product for me? This guide helps define the differences between weed vaporizers including vape pods, cartridges, and weed vape pens.
Your Guide to Weed Vaporizers
Since their introduction years ago, weed vaporizers have been readily adopted for the medical and recreational cannabis industry and have continued to evolve. Weed vaporizers are popular marijuana consumption devices and with good reason. They are affordable, readily available, discreet, and come in as many sizes, shapes, and colors as there are cannabis strains. This guide focuses on portable weed vaping devices, specifically vape pens and pods.
What is a Vape Pod?
Pod-based vaporizers feature advanced airflow technology, a leak-proof design and premium materials for a smooth vaping experience. Pod vaporizers are comprised of: a rechargeable battery and its housing, heating elements, a mouthpiece, and a pod reservoir containing cannabis. Cannabis pods can be filled with cannabis oil, wax, cannabis distillate, or even cannabis flower, depending on the type of pod system.
Pod batteries are proprietary to their pod system. They are typically rechargeable and intended for long-term use. In fact, premium pod brands offer a manufacturer’s warranty to guarantee the longevity of the product. Battery housing is offered in a variety of fun colors and designs.
One advantage between pods vs cartridges is that pods are designed to easily and securely attach to the battery unit in a way that prevents leaking. The pod’s superior design prevents sticky messes and wasted cannabis.
The pod’s battery unit heats up coils that vaporize the cannabis product. Once the pod reservoir is empty, the user simply removes and swaps in a new fully-filled pod. Popular pod devices are small, sleek, and discreet.
What is a Vape Cartridge?
Cartridges, or Carts, are filled with cannabis and attached to a battery unit that closely resembles the profile of a pen. In fact, cartridge vaporizers are often referred to as weed vape pens or pens. They are also referred to as oil vape pens, thc pens, and weed oil pens.
Most vape pens use a universal battery, either a 510 threading battery or c-cell battery, which means that they can be used interchangeably between brands. Vape pens may offer variable voltage settings so that you can select the intensity of the vapor. Much like pods, vape pens have a battery that attaches to an atomizer or small heating element to generate heat for vaporization.
Because the hardware is universal, there are many vape cartridge brands on the market. There can be wide variances in potency and quality. It’s important to select a trusted brand that uses clean cannabis, follows stringent quality assurance processes, and safety-certifies its products.
Pods Vs. Carts: Which is Right for You?
While each type of weed vaporizer offers different benefits, so long as you’re purchasing high-quality cannabis products from a reputable manufacturer, both vaporizing systems offer desirable features to suit your preferences.
The biggest differences between the two systems are reliability, consistency, and the battery. Vape pens and cartridges are known to have varying quality and a greater potential for leaking but are widely available for use with many different cannabis products and strains. Pods are offered by a few brands and have a proprietary battery, but are known for consistent quality. Pods also tend to be more discreet, as they are similar to nicotine vaping products.
Pods Vs. Carts: Conclusion
This basic breakdown between pod vs. cart vaporizing system, should give you an understanding of what you’re looking for with a vaporizer and help you to pick the system that best suits your needs. Budtenders can also help guide you in selecting the right vape system for you and give you some helpful hints to keep your vaporizer performing and achieving the most enjoyable vape sessions for a long-time to come.
by RedBud Extracts